The Red Tractor logo provides added assurance that the food originates from a trustworthy and traceable source – signalling high standards of welfare and food safety and hygiene.

The Prime Pork Meatballs, part of the KaterKing range of meat products and accompaniments, are made with British pork and have been a popular product distributed by the Northamptonshire-based company since 2014.

Last year the company sold almost two million meatballs.

Managing director Gordon Lauder said: “Caterers and foodservice operators include the KaterKing Prime Pork Meatballs on their menus in a range of different dishes from Italian-style meatballs in tomato sauce with pasta to spicy tapas dishes.

“It’s a great-tasting product, made with British meat. But now it has also been given Red Tractor accreditation, which means added assurance for our customers and for their customers too.

“Red Tractor is the UK’s biggest farm and food standards scheme, and is a vital signpost for consumers looking to eat quality UK food. The accreditation is something that restaurants, pubs, hotels, bars and other outlets can highlight on their menus.

“The Red Tractor logo also signifies support for British farmers.”

The KaterKing Prime Pork Meatballs are suitable for all types of caterers to use in a range of recipe dishes such as topping pizzas, filling sub rolls or pitta pockets or as part of tapas sharing-style platters.

Central Foods, which is based at Collingtree near Northampton, supplies more than 220 independent wholesalers, as well as larger national and regional wholesalers. It also supplies to foodservice caterers across the entire foodservice industry, including pubs, hotels, restaurants, staff canteens, schools, hospitals, coffee shops, football grounds and universities.

Offering a one-stop shop to the foodservice sector, it sources products from around the world and the UK, supplying more than 400 different lines, ranging from meat, bakery items and canapés through to buffet products, desserts and puddings.

The KaterKing Prime Pork Meatballs, which are supplied ready-cooked, are free from MSG and hydrogenated fats. To cook from frozen: pre-heat oven 200°C (Fan assisted), place meatballs on a baking tray and reheat for 8 mins (turn the meatballs halfway through cooking time to ensure even cooking).

Friday, 11 August 2017

A new business
networking event for the construction sector is launching in Lincolnshire after
successful networking and business growth organisation the Construction Leaders
Club (CLC) announced it is expanding.

The pilot
session takes place in Lincoln on 15th September and is open to
anyone who works within the construction sector or in a business associated with
the construction industry.

Sponsored
by Lincoln-based The Preparation Group, the trial networking event follows the
success of CLC in Nottingham. Its monthly networking meetings attract
professionals from across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire. It
also run a series of aligned and well-received business growth programmes for
small business owners and senior decision makers.

Terry
O’Mahony, who founded and runs the organisation, said: “Over the last four
years the Construction Leaders Club has been very successful in building a networking
event for construction industry professionals in the Nottingham, Derby,
Leicester area and we want to take it east and north to Lincolnshire and the
surrounding districts as a proven formula for connecting businesses and their
professional teams.

“As well as
networking opportunities, we offer business growth and development training
programmes for small businesses associated with the construction sector. We
welcome anyone working in the sector or alongside the sector who is interested
in networking or in business growth and development to join us on 15th
September at our trial event in Lincoln.”

Earlier
this year the CLC became what is believed to be the only business growth,
leadership and management development organisation for the construction industry
to be awarded the new Chartered Building Consultancy status.

Construction
Leaders Club has held the accolade of Chartered Building Consultancy status for
the past three years but the CIOB asked holders to re-apply after setting down
new and tighter rules for compliance in a bid to drive up standards within the
sector.

Founded by
business growth expert Terry O’Mahony in Nottingham, CLC was established as a
networking and business growth organisation supporting businesses and
individuals related to, or associated with, the UK construction industry.
As well as monthly networking events, CLC also runs development programmes and
workshops for individuals including a Mastermind Programme, aimed at business
owners and senior decision makers, and a Rising Stars Programme for high
potential individuals who want to step-up to the next level. New courses on
each programme are expected to begin this Autumn.

The organisation is supported in Nottingham by Nelsons
Solicitors, insurance and risk brokers Arthur J Gallagher and audit, tax and consulting
services provider RSM, who will also be sponsoring the Lincoln event.

Terry added: “We very much hope that the construction
community in Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and surrounding areas will support
our expansion by joining us on 15th September and also by
considering sponsorship of any future events. If it is to become a regularly
held and successful networking event then we need some leading organisations to
step forward, get involved and support us.”

September’s
event will include a presentation by group managing director of The Preparation
Group, Tracey Glew, on setting the industry standards, and takes place between 10am
to noon at The Training Hub, Preparation House, Deacon Road, Lincoln LN2 4JB. It
costs £30 per head and includes Danish pastries and coffee.

Thursday, 10 August 2017

Popular Derbyshire farm shop Croots has scooped two gold star awards in this year’s Great Taste Awards – including one for a cake designed in conjunction with Bake Off star Val Stones.

Val’s Virtuous Cake, a fat-free, sugar-free and egg-free bake created by Val, who is the sister of Croots’ owner Steve Croot, was awarded a gold star accolade in the 2017 awards.

Croots Hickory Smoked Chicken Sausage, created in-house by the butchers at the farm shop near Duffield, also won a gold star in the awards, which are widely regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the fine food world.

A one star gold award identifies a product as being ‘simply delicious’, according to the Guild of Fine Food, who organise the annual awards.

The judges’ comments for Val’s cake, which is suitable for vegans,included: “A good, wholesome, homemade cake” and “A very good cake – and for all that is missing, you’ve made up for in taste. Good fruit, peel, spice, richness and moisture – very satisfying and with a full flavour without relying on many ingredients.”

Val shot to fame as a popular contestant of last year’s Great British Bake Off, screened on BBC1. She later devised a range of bakes for Croots under theVal at Croots……made with love brand, which include banana and pecan loaf, a range of cookies, cherry shortbread and the virtuous cake.

She is a regular visitor to the farm shop at Farnah House Farm, Wirksworth Road, near Duffield - travelling from her Somerset home to bake and advise on recipes for Croots.

Val said: “I am delighted to hear that Val’s Virtuous Cake has been awarded a one star gold award. I’m very proud of the baking team at Croots.”

For the chicken sausage, the judges’ comments included: “Plump little sausages with an inviting colour. The aroma is of cured, smoked meats. We felt that for a low-fat chicken sausage this is oozing with positive, meaty flavours” and “A very pleasant, plump and well-cooked sausage, the grind of the meat is good, we detect chorizo in the aroma too, the mouth feel is pleasant, the sweet chorizo has worked with the chicken, we are also very pleased that the sausage is not at all dry and remains moist and pleasantly delicious.”

Steve Croot, who runs the farm shop and café with wife Kay, said: “We are chuffed to win two gold star awards for our products in the 2017 Great Taste Awards, as these really are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the fine food world.

“I think we’ve now won 21 Great Taste Awards over the years for products ranging from our sausages and meat to our Croots sloe gin and our Croots muesli mix, which is a huge honour and illustrates the wide range of top quality products we produce here at our Derbyshire farm shop.”

Some 12,366 products were put forward by producers across the UK and other countries for consideration for the 2017 Great Taste Awards, which are acknowledged as the benchmark for speciality food and drink and have been described as the ‘epicurean equivalent of the Booker prize’. Just35% of entries were accredited after rigorous testing by a panel of more than 500 judges.

These are the latest awards won by Croots, which in June scooped the People’s Choice Award for the Midlands at the Family Business United Awards 2017 and which also recently had two products - Croots Lemon Tart and Croots Lemon Rapeseed Oil - selected as finalists in this year’s Great British Food Awards 2017, run by national magazine Great British Food.

Crootsis open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm (Shires Eatery until 4.30pm) and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays. Croots runs Fresh Fish Thursdays between 9am and 1pm on Thursdays.

Wednesday, 9 August 2017

East Midlands civil and structural engineering firm BSP Consulting has promoted James Payne to the position of finance and IT manager.

He has been with the company for exactly 16 years, having joined BSP straight from school in August 2001.

James has recently been instrumental in introducing a new project information management system at BSP’s headquarters in Nottingham and across its offices in Derby, Leicester and Sheffield.

The Union Square software is used worldwide by organisations in the construction sector to help them work smarter and collaborate more effectively, and it has already begun showing positive results for BSP.

BSP managing director David Sumner said: “James has been a loyal and valued BSP employee since joining us in 2001. He has recently spearheaded the introduction of Union Square across the business after putting forward the case to the senior team of the benefits of integrating and streamlining our management of information – something which has become increasingly important to the efficiency of the business as we continue to expand.

“We have a commitment to staff development and are delighted to have promoted James to this newly created position at BSP Consulting, which reflects his new role.”

The Union Square system is being used throughout the business, primarily for project accounting but also for internal processes such as HR.

“Union Square has only been in place for a short while but already it is bringing benefits to BSP in making our project accounting more efficient,” said James. “The prediction is that it will help us with our long-term forecasting and planning, and become an increasingly valuable tool in the future.”

James joined BSP as a civil engineering technician at the age of 16, before becoming civil engineering technician and IT manager in 2004 and subsequently IT manager. He is based in BSP’s Nottingham HQ in Oxford Street but works across the group.

BSP, which also has offices at Pride Park, Derby, De Montfort Street, Leicester, and Solly Street, Sheffield, provides a comprehensive range of consultancy services in civil, structural, geotechnical, transportation and environmental engineering to all sectors of the construction community, from architects, project managers and contractors to developers and estate agents. It was founded in 1999 and operates across the UK, working in sectors including education, industrial, commercial, retail, affordable housing, older persons living, leisure, private housing, heritage, and pre-planning.

Tuesday, 8 August 2017

Growing integrated building services company J Tomlinson has continued its investment in health and safety by installing life-saving defibrillators across key sites.

The Nottingham-based firm has purchased 22 defibrillators to be located at the firm’s permanent offices in the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire, as well as on all major project sites while work is ongoing.

The equipment, which can give a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest, could be a potential life-saver to employees or members of the public who become ill.

“As a company, J Tomlinson continues to strive to provide a safer working environment and keep our employees, visitors and the local community safe and healthy,” said Richard Ball, Head of Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality, at J Tomlinson, which has its headquarters in Lilac Grove, Beeston.

“Although no training is required to operate the defibrillators, the business has also invested in AED (automated external defibrillator) training for primary users and this will be supported with Tool Box Talktraining to all associated first aiders to familiarise them with the equipment where required.”

J Tomlinson, which provides a range of integrated building solutions including construction, refurbishment, repairs and maintenance, mechanical and electrical services (M&E), and facilities management, has invested in 22Lifepak CR2 defibrillators that are fully automated.

The company, which employs more than 420 staff across its offices and sites, is committed to excellence in safety, health, well-being and quality – believing it is integral to maintaining a sustainable integrated building solutions business. It has its own internal health and safety committee, takes part in special health and safety weeks, and runs its own ‘Safetys’ awards for colleagues who show initiative in these areas.

“Automated external defibrillators in the workplace can help save lives, as access to an AED in the first couple of minutes after cardiac arrest improves a patient’s chances of survival,” added Richard. “They are simple to use, so it makes sense to have them available in case of emergency.”

Friday, 28 July 2017

Focus Consultants has been appointed to project manage a plan for a major restoration at one of London’s historic churches.

The Parish Church of St Marylebone, home to the internationally respected Healing and Counselling Centre and innovative NHS Marylebone Health Centre, has been awarded initial support of £700,000 from The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to develop proposals for the £8.6m restoration of the church and the renewal of community facilities.

The historical Grade I listed London landmark has appointed Focus Consultants as project directors and project managers.

The scheme is set to include new building work adjoined to the current structure to include a welcome and reception area, additional exhibition space and a café for visitors. In addition to this, extensive repairs and conservation efforts are expected to take place on the existing building.

Focus Consultants partner Ellie Clarke said: “St Marylebone Church is an important building in London and the team at Focus is very pleased to have been appointed to help with the development in the next chapter of its history.

“We have significant experience of working on such projects and are looking forward to project managing these inspiring proposals.”

Constructed in 1817, the Anglican church located on the Marylebone Road is the third building used for the parish church in the borough’s 900-year-old history. The present church was the venue for the wedding of Robert Browning to Elizabeth Barrett and the baptism of Charles Dickens’ son. In the 1980s, the Parish took a huge leap in converting the unusable crypts of the church to create a range of complementary facilities for community uses.

The Rector of St Marylebone,The Revd Canon Stephen Evans, commented: “The regeneration will allow the parish to become a Community Hub which will tell the story of St Marylebone "the great city north of Oxford Street".

The Rector and Parochial Church Council will be partnering the Church Army’s Marylebone Project in providing a Community Café, staffed by women who would otherwise be homeless, Vital Regeneration, an innovative community enterprise project based in Church Street, one of Westminster’s most deprived areas, working with local young people who are not in employment or education, the Building Crafts College in Stratford (which was founded in and had its premises in Marylebone for nearly 100 years) and a host of other individuals and agencies.

The Changing Lives project will lead to a more sustainable future for the church - creating a vibrant, welcoming hub and enabling visitors to learn more about the heritage of the church and the wider Marylebone area.

The Focus team is currently working to develop the bid ready for submission to the HLF in Summer 2018. The project is expected to be completed in 2020.

Focus, which is based in Nottingham, has offices in London, Leicester and Boston in Lincolnshire. This project is being led by the London office. The companyhas, since 1994, secured for clients more than £953 million of grants for projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion worth of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the country.

It also offers a range of services to the property and construction industry, including building surveying, quantity surveying, project management, and sustainable development support.

Thursday, 20 July 2017

Work has begun on site to build 22 new affordable homes in Lincolnshire – the latest project that Focus Consultants has undertaken for Waterloo Housing Group.

The team in the Boston office of Focus Consultants has been appointed to carry out a multi-disciplinary construction consultancy role on the development in Church Road in Old Leake.

It follows the completion ahead of schedule earlier this year of Phase Two of Broadfield Lane, Boston, when Focus Consultants acted as employer’s agent, principal designer, client CDM advisor and party wall surveyor on a scheme to build 123 houses for Waterloo Housing Group.

Also completed recently was a scheme for Waterloo Housing to provide 26 houses and apartments at Tytton Lane, Boston. Meanwhile, work is continuing on a project that Focus is also involved in to build 32 homes off Toot Lane, Boston, for the housing association.

“This latest appointment at Old Leake continues our ongoing relationship with Waterloo Housing Group and ESHA, helping to deliver a range of housing projects in the Lincolnshire area over a number of years,” said Trevor Newton, Partner in the Boston office of Focus.

“We were delighted with the completion ahead of schedule earlier this year of the second phase of a Waterloo Housing Group development, in Broadfield Lane, Boston, where Focus also had a multi-disciplinary role.

“As a company, Focus offers a range of building consultancy services from design, building surveying and quantity surveying through to project management, and we are very pleased that we have been able to support Waterloo Housing Group on so many projects.”

The Old Leake scheme, led byWaterloo Housing Group and ESHA Developments, will create a range of one, two, three and four bedroom houses, all available for rent or shared ownership. The project is being funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise partnership.

The village of Old Leake is situated approximately eight miles from the market town of Boston in Lincolnshire. The site was formerly occupied by a caravan and car park for the adjacent White Hart public house. The development includes the demolition of part of the pub which was remodelled to facilitate access for the new road.

The new homes have been designed to provide spacious modern accommodation and a range of parking options. In keeping with the area’s aesthetics, including a Grade I Listed church, the homes have been carefully designed to blend into the central village location. The housing development is due to be completed in March 2018.

Nottingham-based Focus, which, as well as an office in Boston, also has branches in London and Leicester,offers a range of services in funding and economic development, project management, sustainable development and building surveying.

Since 1994 Focus has also secured for clients more than £953 million of grants for projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion worth of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful businesses of its kind in the country.

About Perfect 10 PR

Perfect 10 PR is run by Louise Duffield, who has worked in the media industry since 1987. As a qualified journalist, who has written for both regional and national newspapers and magazines, Louise knows how the media works and what makes a good story.

Here you will find details of client news, updates from Perfect 10 PR, which is based in Nottingham, and the occasional comment.